From The Machine
by Alan Spencer
Summary: Taylor starts dreaming about killing people.
1. 1

**1/**

I woke up.

I just looked at the not even visibly ceiling for a while, without really thinking about anything. There was a strange burning feeling in my chest, and I felt like crying. I held back my tears, and shallowed. I got out. Everything was stifling. I was suddenly so hot, I needed air, so I walked fast down the stairs and into the night.

I shouldn't be doing this. Some part of me warns me that this is Brockton Bay, after all. This is a horrible idea. I would be lucky if I only ended up being killed. But, everything seemed so unbearable and I just, I needed a chance to relax, to unwind for once. I walked aimlessly, wishing the cold night air would take my thoughts away. Some peace. That's all I want, some peace. Is that too much too ask for?

But, I cannot calm down. I soon realize what I already thinking. No matter where I would go, the past would follow me. It was an eternal scar that wouldn't never leave me even though the physical wounds had already healed. So I think. I try to think. I try to thinking positively, make myself some reason to go on. But I couldn't find it. I felt half death already. No, more like, I had been half death since mother's car accident.

I lived in a tiny world since I was young. My father, my mother and my best friend Emma. That's all I needed and I didn't think about anything else. It was all I had, and piece by piece it had been chipped away, starting with the car accident. My father depressed and distant. My friend backstabbed me, and then hurt me so viciously, for so long, spit on my trust. That small world of mine was now so smile I could barely breathe, so no wonder I was reaching this point.

Death was scary, but living was not looking any better. I should just end it already. I understood than that was the answer I've been seeking. Things lost would never return. The only way for me to find peace would be die. So, I walked, now with a purpose. To find something to do it. Anything would be fine.

Casually… all I did was casually cast my gaze into the dark shapes I saw crossing the street, and my vision froze. I shallowed. What I had been thinking of? I couldn't remember, but it couldn't be that important. I walked after the people I saw with unsteady footsteps. The beating of my heart speeded up, until each beat was like a small explosion that hurt like it could tear me apart. My breathing went out of control and…

Suddenly,

there were the corpses of strangers in front of me.

I could do nothing but stare, unable to process the scene. I saw what I saw, and I understand what I was looking at, but I didn't want to understand. Because, it was too horrible. Because, there was something incompressible. There were three corpses without a trace of blood of them, and they must have been like that for many years as they had rotten to the point I could make out of their bones against the greenish decayed skin. Couldn't be a recent scene. It simply couldn't be. But that it hadn't been discovered until now was impossible, and besides…

Besides, I could taste blood in my mouth. It was too much blood, so it dripped between my slightly parted lips and down my chin. That, was the strangest thing of it all, but something inside of me gave me my answer and I understood that I couldn't deny it. I had done this. Just like that, while breathing hard like a beast, these people I had never meet, for no reason at all…

I killed them? Oh, oh, I got it now. It didn't even require thought. This was a dream. But when did I fall asleep? Those words reverberated in my head like a curse. A sharp headache like a bullet had penetrated my skull. With unsteady steps, I left the alley behind. Dimly, I thought that it would be bad if people saw me like I was now, but what did it matter? This was a dream. I would wake up soon and everything would fade away, so there was no reason to worry about any of it. It was just another bad dream, and as bad dreams went, this was better that most of what I've had since that.

So… it was fine.

My consciousness returned. I slowly opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the sunlight streaming through the windows. I felt tired, like I hadn't sleep anything at all. That was bad. That was bad normally, but today was a school day, so it was especially bad. I repeated to myself why I had to get out of bed, what reason I had to force myself through all this pain, and eventually, I almost brought myself to believe it. I got out of bed, got changed out of my pyjamas and headed down.

The nightmare I had seen last night was so horrible that no wonder I didn't feel like I had rested.

Oh, the nightmare. I had almost forgotten. It had feel so real… I looked down on myself, but of course, there were no stains of blood nor was there the trace of its odour. It had been a simple nightmare. It was silly to worry about it for even a single second, I wouldn't do that nor could do that, but still, with it fresh in my mind I couldn't help it.

Dad was in the kitchen. Breakfast was already prepared, as I had woke up a little later that I used to.

"Morning." I told him. I yawned, and immediately blushed. I really was tired.

"Morning." he said, and chuckled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but I don't feel like I have sleep enough." I sat down to head. In the middle of it, the television cached my attention. Usually, I didn't really look at it. Never interested me much. But after hearing something about multiple murders, what else could I do? I turned my head and I listened quietly. As heartless as it sounded, it was not just because of the murder itself, but because I felt there was something wrong. Something I couldn't really put my finger on.

Then, the pieces fit together.

Three corpses had been found in alley, and… the alley seemed very similar. Like I had been there the night before, when I had killed those people. It was exactly like that alley. And moreover, for some reason, I thought I recognized the people I saw last night on that dream when they showed the photos of the victims.

...No, no way.

I shook my head. Mother's death, the relationship with my Dad which was in shambles and the ongoing situation at my school. I had more that enough shit to dealt with already, without putting weight on my back for my crazy delusions. Yes, the situation was quite coincidental, but there was nothing more to it. The nightmare had simply provoked me into making associations with said situation and, like an idiot, I almost ended up believing it.

Dream's were just dreams.


	2. 2

**2/**

This is the story of a knight. It's a simple story. Since he was born, he was alone in the world. He had been left in a convent, but that was all the consideration afforded to the child. He had not a single belonging, nor even a name. The people inside took him as one of their own and gave him his name. The name? What they wanted him to become, a holy knight who could be strong enough to protect the peace, and be peaceful himself. The name of somebody who would take a cause greater that himself as his strength.

He grew up and underwent rigorous training. He surpassed all expectations and became one of the strongest knights in that order. He killed, killed and killed. And he saved many more people that he killed. But he found no meaning it any of it. Neither happiness nor sadness.

Since his childhood, he had felt a distance between himself and other people and that gap had only widened for all sorts of reasons. Trying to find some sort of meaning in his life, he entrusted himself to life as a warrior and sought to find said meaning by giving to other people. Validation. But all he got at the of all that struggle was a life of carrying death, so…

A beautiful woman watching from afar, curios and shining to his eyes.

He couldn't let go of the only thing he found.

* * *

Ah, what was that? I woke up, dazed and a little confused, unable to separate myself from the vivid dream I had. No, more like a dream, it seemed like I had lived through it. Though now that I was awake and aware, I had trouble even remembering what had I had seen. Oh well.

I got myself out of bed. Yesterday, I had somehow be able to go back to that place. It hadn't been a bad day, all things considered. The usual whispers and insults, but the worse of it… the worse of it was having to see the people that did it, having to see the people that stood to the side and did nothing while I was shoved in the locker, safe and happy like it was just another normal day without having suffered any consequences was definitively the worst 0f it.

I hated to see that they had won.

I took a deep breath. Nothing good would come out of me getting mad about it. I understood how much the cards were stacked against me. I wouldn't really try anything, I didn't have the means. So all I could do was not fall, let them show that they hadn't really won, that they hadn't broken me. It was a small thing, it was all so crushing precisely because they weren't trying to crush me and I just a sick pastime, but at least, this would be a show of defiance. They were expecting me to run away and cry and not come to school ever again.

I was not about to give them that satisfaction.

On the way to my next class, I got tripped. I fell down to the ground noisily, and, of course, there was laughter.

"You're too clumsy, Taylor." Sophia. That bitch. "Watch where you're going."

My hands clenched into fist. I snarled, lifted myself to my feet, and turned around with all the speed I could muster. I slammed into her, pushing her back against the wall. I pressed my arm against her throat, and with the other one I tried to hold her down. I was not even sure of what I was thinking, but I couldn't handle it anymore. Damn the consequences.

She only laughed.

"Wow, so now you actually have the guts to fight back? Should have done it a lot sooner."

The gritting of my teeth. Laughing in my face while admitting that she did it, obviously enjoying it and taking pride in what she did. This bitch. This stupid bitch. I couldn't even remember how to breathe properly. I couldn't think, only anger filled my mind. She deserved it. She deserved it, deserved it, deserved it, deserved it…

When I was lost in my thoughts, Sophia struck me right in the mouth. I flinched, but the strike didn't manage to move me. I head butted her, trying to put all the strength I had behind it. She took the blow, and, even though I had been trying to restrain her, took my legs out from under me. She was trained, I dimly realized when I was on the ground, trying to catch my breath. It was not like I was an opponent somebody would need training to beat, but anyways, she was clearly experienced. In other words, I had picked a fight I couldn't win. Once again.

The thought was so infuriating I immediately rejected it.

No way.

No again.

She grabbed me and hauled me to my feet by my hair. No way that was meant that way, but in any case, it enraged me even more. She threw me to the ground like a piece of trash. I raised my head. She slowly went around me in circles, enjoying it. That I had fought back, at lost. Revelling in her absolute victory that would be unchanged. I hated that. The only thing I wanted here was to be able to wipe off that expression off her stupid face.

"Aren't you going to fight back?" Sophia drawled out, enjoying every word. "Well, I guess this is the limit of people like you."

She turned her back on me.

And that instant, something broke inside of me. For the humiliation and the anger, I exploded and, screaming like a banshee, I charged at her from behind and, catching her off guard, managed to tackle her into the ground. Scratching, biting, kicking, punching. I utterly lost it. I couldn't even think about pulling back. I was tired of doing it, of telling myself I was better than them and couldn't not do that, when that never got me anywhere. Like this, I could at least release my pent up emotions.

Sophia struggled, she really struggled now, but I didn't let up and didn't leave her enough room for her to be able to get out of her. Every hit I gave her was exhilarating, and at the same time, not nearly enough, no matter how many times I did it. Not even than the same people that had stood by and watched as I got shoved into the locker were watching me beating her up.

A banging sound. The sound of doors opening. Of course, they would realize what was going on when it had to do with the track team's star, and not the invisible, nerdy girl who might as well be nothing but air. I heard some teacher telling me to stop, too out of it to tell who was it exactly. But it didn't matter. I just continued.

We were pulled apart. I didn't resist, because now that I had time to catch my breath what I did was starting to sink IN and because, either way, there wouldn't be no point in continuing this. Sophia also did resist. She was also acting more injured than she really was, in a bind to try to make herself the victim. The bitch. Not like she needed doing anything else. My heart sank. A lot of those people watching would testify that I had been the aggressor, instead of the opposite. There was no way I was going to get out of that one, but there was also the fact that even though I got a busted lip and a little bit of blood, Sophia looked worse. She had propably let me hit her on purpose after I had tackled her from behind.

But more than that, I was getting worried about my mental state. Sophia had tripped me. She had tripped me many times before, and before it actually did more harm than this one. The taunts after my fall, as if she hadn't done nothing, weren't anything new either. Yet, I snapped. I snarled, and attacked her, and backing down didn't even enter my brain. It seemed unbelievable that I would have done any of those things I did on those last few minutes, but I knew I had. I knew that I had enjoyed it. Also, father. First of all, I would be interrupting his work for something like this.

But more than that, I imagined having to tell my outraged father than yes, it was true that I had attacked Sophia, but…

I shallowed.

So we were lead into the waiting room of the principals office, and they went to call our parents, leaving us alone with one of the people stationed at the concierge. It was a little better that leaving us alone together, but not that much. This whole situation made me felt sick and having her near me just made me felt worse.

"Hey." she whispered. "That was clumsy, Taylor. Really fucking clumsy. Next time you want to kick somebody's ass, call me. I teach you."

...What? I clenched my hands into fists.

"Fuck off."

"You still have a lot to learn, but at least you're not as hopeless as Emma." she said. "You could be something."

I didn't understand. No, I didn't want to understand. She seriously sounded… almost proud. Of what she had pushed me to, the attitude I showed back there.

"I told you… fuck off. Even your voice makes me felt sick."

"Ah, yeah. I guess it would." she shrugged. "You need to go pass that, though. Eventually Shame you didn't have… but well, there's use for people like you. For the kind of person you could become."

She felt silent, then, and just sat there, rocking in her chair with a slightly bored expression. That face…

it made me

want to tear her apart.

* * *

A woman arrived first. Sophia's mother was my first though, but leaving aside that the woman was white, they didn't look anything alike and she looked more like… some sort of professional. A caseworker, maybe. Dad came not too long after. It was hard to look at him in the eye, but I did. We got inside.

"Well," the principal said, her hands clasped. "We're here because Taylor Hebert was found on the top of Sophia Hess by several teachers and students, punching, kicking, biting her."

Dad looked sideways at me.

"She's one of them, right?" he asked.

"The one who pushed me inside." I said. I saw the principal grimace when she said that. "But..."

"Please, restrict yourself to the current accident." she insisted.

"It's relevant." I replied, my voice hard. "Whatever you like it or not. But well, let's do as you said. Sophia tripped me, taunted me. I pushed her back against the wall because she let me. She said that she should have done it a lot sooner because now I had the guts to fight back, and punched me in the mouth. She knocked my feet from under me, dragged me across the ground by the hair, threw me to the ground, mocked me some more and then I lost it. When she turned her back on me, I tackled her… and you saw the rest."

"That's not it." Sophia interrupted them. "She attacked me for no reason, I defended myself, and I tried to leave to defuse the fighting. But she tackled me from behind and started savagely attacking me like an animal. Just ask."

"Of course she should ask. The only people who are going to talk will say what's best for you." I said.

"Then, where's your proof?" Sophia questioned.

"Nowhere." I said. "Nowhere, and you know that. So shut up."

She did shut up, but her smile said more that she could have said with words. You're here again. A sharp headache. I looked away from her, even if that could be seen as a weakness. Because, I felt like I was on the verge of exploding again. I clenched the fabric of my pants tightly, my hands shaking. They talked some more and, honestly, I could barely process any of it. Just scattered words.

"...No, no way." Dad said, barely holding on to his composure. "Not once, but twice. After you promised to my fucking face… well, fuck you. Fuck all of you. She won't come here ever again."

He stood up.

"I've… I've a friend in the media." he said. "Several friends. And yes, this is a threat."

He grabbed me by my arm and hauled me to my feet. I felt his hand and his arm shaking from the anger.

"This doesn't have to go this..."

He let got of me and turned around.

"Fuck you, you pig-faced bitch! This has crossed a fucking line a long time ago." he grabbed me again and stormed out of the room. The door slamming sounded as loud as a gunshot.

I had seen him like this before, a few times. It was not a real surprise. But, still, after everything and especially after earlier, somehow, I could barely hold back my tears… he grabbed his head between his hands, trying to control his breathing.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..." he looked up at me, guilt and pain mixed on his face. He looked slightly away at instant later, so he didn't have to meet my eyes shining with unshod tears. "I'm sorry for… that. And for many other things. I'm really sorry."

He took a deep breath.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

"...That's fine by me." I replied, my voice low.

"Okay."

I followed him downstairs, out of Winslow and into his car. We sat, and drove presumably to take me back home. By that time, I had mostly managed to calm myself down. I wanted to talk about it, but at the same time, I didn't really. I thought it would be for the best to just let it pass. So I didn't say anything, and Dad didn't say anything either.

The drive passed terribly slowly, as I watched the familiar scenery drift past by us.


	3. 3

**3/**

There was a once a knight who didn't hold anything dear and didn't want to protect anything. His name was given to him by strangers, and as for his surname, he chose it himself because he found the mountains in which he grew up in beautiful. There was only one thing who gave him meaning. A woman he meet by chance, and by chance they grew up together, loved each other and married.

He never really wished for anything. His path was decided by the strangers called his parents, who abandoned him at the door of that place. He followed the way of a knight he was supposed to follow and rose above all others. A shining beacon of light in a world of darkness in which monstrosities lurked.

And then she died. Just like that, just like one of the many people who had died at the hands of the monsters ravaging the land. Alone, in pain. Just thinking about it, it was vexing. He felt like he could break. There was no way he could be able to let go of it. They were both so young and they had so much time still. Besides, she was pure, beautiful, the most wonderful person he ever knew. She didn't deserve to die, and less of all that way. She was all he loved.

So… how could he let go of it?

* * *

I was outside. I couldn't quite remember when I got outside or for what reason, but I didn't really care. I closed my eyes, and breathed deeply, enjoying the pleasant night wind. I opened them again. The darkness of the night seemed alive. And I myself, I felt more alive that I ever felt in many years.

I walked through the darkness, from nowhere to nowhere. The night is alive, but the streets were empty. It was only natural. Brockton Bay was no a city in which a normal person could just take a night stroll, unless they were suicidal. I vaguely understood the dangers of it, but I didn't feel afraid. There was no reason to feel any fear.

Oh, yeah

I suddenly remembered why I had gone out.

I saw some man crossing the street, and he didn't seen me. He was not a person I know. I got excited, and started following him. My exploding heart scourged me forward. I grabbed him, and dragged him into an alley. I pinned him against the wall with one hand and closed his mouth with the other. Then, I had my fill.

It was finished quickly, and he was not even able to cry out.

I discarded him like a trash in the alley, and when out like nothing had happened. It was nice, but it was not good enough, not nearly enough. I still was thirsty. My whole body was shaking, urging me to take more. A burning impulse inside of me so intense that felt like I was going to break apart. If I didn't quench my thirst, I was going to explode.

* * *

Another

hazy dream.

I opened my eyes, and immediately closed them again, feeling disoriented. My vision swam. It felt like swaying in water lost somewhere in a deep dark cave. The feeling passed relatively quickly. I opened my eyes again. I could barely remember what I had reading, enough to even more vaguely recall that other dream and realize that both were connected. I just couldn't understand what it meant, though.

I get out of the bed. Today was school day… except I wasn't in Winslow anymore. I didn't have to get out of bed right now. I could just lay down, and sleep some more. Except, I didn't really want to sleep, either. So I got up, got changed and headed down into the living room to have another normal morning. Except… it was even more relaxing that ever, because I didn't have the knowledge, in the back of my head, that I would have to go back into that hell. And not just today, but never again.

But what was left?

What was left?

That was the question that ate at my own thoughts for all of the morning, and I suspected, way things were going, I would have to ask that to myself everyday for the rest of my life.

Somehow, I finally got to sleep and I woke out of outside.

* * *

A strong wind. Right in front of me, an incredible height. Thousands of meters, making the ground barely visible in the darkness. A fall which could have killed anybody. My body, garbed in armour, red armour, an armour that was somehow special. I stared down below as the wind wiped my cape. Behind, was an old castle. Behind me, was something as inhuman as me.

There were questions, but the answers to them, if any were to be found, escaped me. Even though escaped me. I just keep on staring at the distant horizon, without moving, without speaking. And… suddenly, my vision accelerated and expanded. What earlier had been nothing but a blur was now visible in stark clarity. There were beasts on the ground, so many of them that the ground was not even visible even with this perfect vision. Dark, vicious monsters. The creatures of the night gathering under one banner. Beasts, wanting for their master. And that moment

I opened my mouth to order them

and they listened.

* * *

I woke up. I… I had dreamed, something strange. I've been dreaming strange things for awhile now. Dreams were I kill people. When I sucked their blood until they dry out and I discard them like trash. I suddenly remembered that. And in the morning, after that first dream, the news had reported a family dead in a familiar alley. The alley of my dream.

...It was a thought too absurd to contemplate, but I couldn't take my mind off it. I said dream, but first of all, dream's weren't that vivid. They had faded away from my memory but now that they had come back, I remembered everything in stark clear detail. Every sensation and feeling and passing thought. As if I had lived through it.

Something so absurd couldn't be it, of course. It was just a dream. A simple coincide, if a spooky one. Because, there was no way that could be true. There was no proof. I woke up back in my bed, without even the lingering taste of blood in my mouth to hint that something had really happened. To begin with, I couldn't be able to do that in the first place.

It was silly to think something like that could be true.

I went down and to the living room. I noticed I woke up later that I used too, but well, it wasn't like I needed to wake up at that time anymore. The television was on, showing the news. I froze, feeling half-dead.

" _...yesterday at night, again, the killer struck. This time, there were four victims._ " Four? I could only remembered having killing one, except… I could also remember that unbearable urge, and intending to go looking for more. Three more, as it turned up. I tried to push that though away, but I couldn't. Of course I couldn't.

If it was true, why? What was happening?

Power. That was the answer my mind came to in an instant. Of course, because it was the only way to explain something like this. I had to be have gained back there, in the locker. That… that seemed like the correct answer.

But even if it was, what could I do?


	4. 4

**4/**

I woke up, feeling like I had forgot something… couldn't put words to it. It was just that. A vague feeling that I couldn't shake of. I went down to the living room to eat breakfast, and I still tried to think about it. But no matter how much I thought, I couldn't remember what it was. It was maddening, because, I was not even sure I forgot anything. There was just that sensation.

I stared at the television as it showed the morning news without moving nor saying anything.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked. "Did you forget something?"

DID YOU FORGET SOMETHING? Those words reverberated in my head like a curse. What was it that I forgot? I couldn't even get close to whatever it was, no matter how hard I tried. Oh, well. If I forgot something so completely, it couldn't be anything important. I shook my head and smiled at him.

"No, nothing. Just thinking. Could change the channel?" suddenly, I didn't want to listen. No wonder. When you listened to the new, rarely you heard about anything good. I wasn't in the mood for that.

"Oh, okay. Do you want to watch something?"

"No." I said. "Just… put whatever you want, Dad."

"Okay."

I sat down, and ate.

* * *

Breathing hard, I finished it. The meal this time was a bit larger. Six persons. Blood painted the walls, the ground. The carnage was so brutal that anybody else could only tell how many people had suffered a long, painful dead in this alley by counting the heads in the floor, among the blood. This was not how I usually acted, but, you see, I wanted to take what was mine and one of them had the nerve to take out a gun and shoot me in the heart. It only stung a little, but I lost it. I had to put them all in their places.

It had been exhilarating, but now that it was all over, I felt empty again. This relentless hunger was ravaging my body, and it so much to the point of driving me insane. I had to do something about it. Something, something, something so I could finally quench this thirst. I've been taking blood for normal human beings, so maybe that was an it.

A noise. I turned and, on the rooftop in front of me, there was a girl. She was armed, her crossbow raised and pointed at me, and clearly ready for a fight. Or so she thought. Even from here I could heard the tantalizing flow of her blood and the beating of her heart. I recognized her. I was not wearing a disguise and she was close enough to see me in the darkness. She recognized me, too. How could she not? After all, she was Sophia Hess.

The gritting of my teeth. A sharp headache like my head was going to explode. I couldn't deny what was in front of me. Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker. Her, a hero. A hero. The firing crossbow. I didn't move. The bolt struck through my chest and buried itself in it. I grabbed it, snapped it, and tossed it aside.

Then, I moved.

I snarled like an animal, jumped to the wall, and impulsed myself to the top in only two seconds by running up it and jumping. Sophia turned into shadow, but what a pity. She couldn't escape from me. I grabbed her formless form, and slammed her against the ground with great force. The crossbow feel from her grip and rolled away.

That took care of it. She returned back to her normal state. Well, not really. Now she was on the ground and I was on the top. It was a big change. She was gasping in pain, trying to regain her breath, and coughing painfully. She slowly crawled away from me desperately, filled with raw panic. Blood was coming from her mouth. No surprise there. I hit her hard enough to break a few ribs, and at least one of them had to have pierced one of her lungs.

I walked towards her at her pace, not letting the distance between us change for even a second.

I let her almost grasp the crossbow, the only meant she had on fighting back… and I lazily kicked it away from her. She changed again, realized what an idiotic thing she had done in the middle of a haze of fear, confusion and pain. I grabbed her leg, keeping her in place. Then, I kicked her in the chest. She went back to normal. She was barely holding on to her consciousness. She fixed her eyes on me. An almost inaudible gasp came from her lips. I clearly read her lips.

I'm sorry.

I don't want to die.

The thought of biting her, cursing her, let her hatred boil and come to challenge me again only to be miserably killed entered my mind. It was tempting, but the though of wanting for it when I had her now was unbearable. I extended my arms to the side, smiled warmly and then pounced on her. I bit her and tore out of her throat.

I spat out the blood filling my mouth, her blood. I wouldn't drain her. Not her. Just the little taste I got from her just now was enough to make me sick despite of the hunger. I wiped the blood on my lips with the back of my hands, and turned away. I could dispose of the body, but I didn't need to. Let them fear. Let the scared livestock flock together. I didn't have any need to hide myself.

I would gladly welcome them when they came for me.


	5. 5

**5/**

When I entered the living room, I noticed Dad looked really worried. I tried to think about what could have happened, and the only thing that came into my mind was that something had happened to the Union. Something.

"What's wrong?"

He looked at me, as if startled.

"No, just..." he sighed. "It seems this city is becoming more dangerous day by day. Yesterday, the killer killed six more people and Shadow Stalker was killed, as well."

I couldn't heard the last thing he said. I couldn't heard even a little bit of it. That… was strange. I must have been not paying attention.

"Sorry. What did you say?"

He looked at me oddly.

"Six people and Shadow Stalker were killed last night."

Eh…? I had to have heard wrong. No, that was only what I wanted to believe. I had heard everything perfectly. Six people, and Shadow Stalker, last night. Six people, like in my dream. And her, too. My dream? No, I couldn't keep on fooling myself anymore. Those were not dreams. Those nights, I had really gone out, and, like an animal, I killed all those people. I was the killer.

"Oh." I heard an incredibly dumb sounding voice. Even though it was, it didn't feel like the voice was coming out of my own throat.

"Yeah. We cannot just pack up and leave, but..." he looked away. "Things like this makes me want to do it anyway."

"...Yeah." I agreed with it. Only, I couldn't really. Because, no matter where I went, I couldn't escape from my own memories. Because, I was a killer, so I would keep on killing no matter where I was.

I ate breakfast that morning, like nothing had happened, but only to not worry him. It made me feel sick, like I was eating poison, even though it was just a normal breakfast. When he was gone, I stopped holding back, went to the bathroom and puked out everything while crying.

I would do it.

I had to do it.

I would go to the PRT, turn myself in and hope that they would be able to fix this mess. I had my worries. Yeah, I had many worries and images flashing through my mind, like my father renouncing me, but my worries were insignificant. Fourteen people were dead. That was not something I could compensate no matter what I did. And if I didn't do that, many more people would die at my hands.

It was my only choice.

So I went. I ran out of the house, and I ran, ran, ran, pushing my body to its utmost limits. When I finally reached the PRT's building, my body was on fire, I couldn't even breathe and I feel like I could drop dead any second now. It had been the only way. Because, I found myself unable to remember the number, no matter how hard I tried. But I had done it. I was there. I had worried that, in the middle of the way, I would forget. I would be made to forget. But now, I could fix this. I could fix it.

I stumbled inside. Some people turned to stare at me in curiosity, others just ignored me. I tried to catch my breath, but even breathing hurt. I wished I would have keep myself in shape, but it was a little too late to regret that now. I steadied myself and took a few steps forward. I looked around. What to do now, where to go? Suddenly, I felt so lost, tiny and alone.

A hand on my arm. I looked, at there were two soldiers of the PRT there.

"Miss." one of them said. "What's wrong?"

"I..." I decided to just say it, straight out. "The killer… that vampiric killer… I know who she is."

They shared a look between each other.

"Okay." the same one said. "Come this way."

And they leaded to an interrogation room. I sat down. They went out to call somebody else. I knew that I was here for other reasons, but still, knowing that I was guilty, it was nerve wrecking to having to sit in this tiny, white room without being able to do anything but wait. The door opened. I looked and… Armsmaster closed the door, and stepped into the room. He sat down in front of me.

"You're Taylor Hebert?" despite of the whole situation, hearing my name come out of his mouth made me felt giddy.

"Yes."

"And you say you know the identity of the… vampiric killer?"

"Yes."

"Who is the vampiric killer?"

"I… I am." I confessed. "I did it. I killed all those people."

"You're telling the truth." his voice was now as hard as steel. "So what? You got suddenly regret what you did?"

"I regret it, but please, listen to me. I… I did it, but, I… I didn't really do it. I triggered a few days ago. I'm a student Winslow. Got pushed into a locker full of used tampons and… other junk. And, I've been having these dreams at night, dreams were I go out and kill people. I really thought they were just dreams. But now… please, you have to help me. I didn't want to kill anybody. I don't want there to be anymore victims."

Armsmaster fell silent. I wanted him to say something, anything, but I didn't open my mouth either.

"Very well. How do these killings happen?"

"At night, only at night. I dream…. And then I'm out in the streets, without questioning anything, and I go out to kill. I don't… the victims were chosen at random. As for the brutality of the last killing of six people… one of them shot me in the shoulder, so I got enraged and tore her apart." I said. Me,I. I didn't really want to say it like that, made me felt sick, yet I couldn't really distance those killings from myself. I had to take responsibility all the way. "Shadow Stalker… she died and didn't get her blood sucked because she, Sophia Hess, was the one who pushed me into the locker."

"Are you sure?"

"What?"

"Are you sure Sophia Hess was the one to push you into the locker?"

"Yes, I am."

He frowned.

"We will investigate that." he answered. "As for you… and your situation… you're going to stay overnight at the PRT's headquarters. Locked up in cell, and watched, so we can contain you in case it happens again. To verify your story, and get all the details."

"My father..."

"We will inform him of it. Don't worry."

I nodded.

* * *

I laid on my cell, staring at the ceiling. My hands were chained to the seat. Part of me worried that Armsmaster hadn't believed me , had just thought I was insane, and that he pretend to do it to get me in a cell without resistance. However, that was a small worried. If I was to be jailed, well… it would be painful, but I didn't have any right to complain when so many people had died by my hand. At least, if it was like that a threat to the people would rot away in jail without being able to hurt anybody. A happy ending.

What I was really worrying about was my father.

He had it bad. First, the dead of my mother. Then, watching our relationship grow distant while never knowing what to say, where to say it nor when to say it, le to stew in his bitterness and sadness. Just a few days ago, he had found out about my situation at school. And now, this. His daughter, the crazy Parahuman. The brutal serial killer who had been stalking the streets.

I was so afraid that by doing this, the right thing, I would be burying him along with me.

I awoke, gasping in pain. My whole body was burning. I looked around, my vision swimming. It took me a second to remember where was this place. A cell. The PRT's cell. I had asked them to put me here, because I was a killer. Right. No reason to panic. I tried to control my ragged breathing.

But, I couldn't calm down. There was a burning impulse in me that couldn't be stopped. I felt I was going to break apart. Kill. That was what my whole self was telling me. I had to get out and kill to get rid of this pain. A small discomfort on the side of my arm. A needle. What was a needle doing there?

What was I going to do? I couldn't remember no matter how hard I tried.

My eyelids were so heavy...

* * *

I opened my eyes. Was it morning, or was it still night? I couldn't really tell. But… no, that was not right. The burning impulse was gone along with that presence creeping in my mind. Night had come and gone. And I couldn't remember having killed anybody. I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't remember killing three people before, but in this situation there was no room for doubt. If I had somehow managed to escape and killed, I wouldn't have come back here and chained myself again. Good, that was good.

I waited. Somebody, surely, had to come one way or another. So I waited patiently, trying to suppress my nervousness. And eventually, Armsmaster appeared alone. He stopped and fixed his eyes on me. I looked at him and didn't say anything.

"We believe you." he said. "Last night… when you woke up, your body and mind had undergone notable changes. The possibilities of us being able to find away to get your change under control are not zero… but don't get your hopes up."

In other words, in absence of a miracle I would rot away from the rest of my life in this cell. About what I expected, but for some reason, it hit me hard. I looked down. I… I wanted to talk with my father, I knew I needed to, but I couldn't bring myself to ask such a simple thing to Armsmaster.

"Do you..." he began awkwardly, like a man stepping out of his comfort zone. "Do you want to talk to your father?"

I nodded, grateful that he had been right on the mark. I was sure that if he hadn't said it, I wouldn't have gathered to courage to go through with it.

"I don't have a phone."

"That's fine." he threw me his phone in between the bars. It was accurate, so I didn't have to make much effort to catch it. I imputed Dad's number, and put it into my ear.

"Who's this?" Dad asked, weary, and sounding tired. I had to talk. I knew I had to talk, but suddenly, I didn't know what to say. "If it isn't anything important, don't..."

"Dad."

"Taylor!"

"I… I'm… this is Armsmaster's phone." I didn't know what I said that. I bit my lip. "Listen, I… I'm sorry. Really, I am. But… but you cannot crumble down. Not again. I know it will be hard to dealt with, after… everything, but they are telling the truth. I'm telling the truth. I killed many people. I was not really myself, but it doesn't change that I need to be locked up..."

"For life?" he replied, his voice full of bitterness. "Is that how it is going to be? You locked up for life even though you didn't do anything wrong and me, living for absolutely nothing?"

"Listen. They are working on getting my… transformation under control. Could take weeks, could take months, could take years." I was giving him false hopes. I knew I was , and I felt like shit for it, but I didn't want him to destroy himself. "But it doesn't have to be that way. Live… if not for yourself, because someday I'm going to come back home and… I love you."

I started crying. I was going to see him again, no doubt. And heard his voice. But that was it. It was over. I couldn't contain my tears and I didn't want to do it either.

"...I'm sorry." Dad said. "I… I'm going to hold on, okay? So… you have to hold on, too."

I nodded, before remembering that we were talking through a phone so he, of course, couldn't see me.

"Yes." I agreed in a trembling voice. "I will."

We talked for a little more, then we said goodbye. I hanged up first, and threw the phone back at Armsmaster. My aim was off, because my hands were shaking and because tears were still obscuring my vision, so it smacked straight into the bars of what was going to be my tomb and feel to the ground. He didn't comment on it. He simply picked it up.

"Just leave me." I said, head held down. "Okay? I need… space."

I listened to the sound of Armsmaster's footsteps fading into the distance, until I couldn't heard them anymore. I closed my eyes.


	6. 6

**6/**

I awoke laying in a cold, hard ground. When I opened my eyes, I saw an unreal scenery. A gigantic room. There were two flowing streams of water at each side of the room, four statues of serpents at each side of the room, and in the centre, surrounding me, stone statues of maidens kneeling as in prayer.

I slowly stood up. The only sound echoing to the room was the flowing water. I could see a few exits. My heart was beating hard, and even though I wanted to move, I felt stuck to the floor. Somewhere. There was something somewhere in the darkness, waiting. Waiting, and watching.

A sound. I turned, and I saw myself. Except, it wasn't really myself. She looked identical to me but there was something subtly wrong with everything about her. That thing slowly walked towards the centre of the room, towards me. Its movements reminded me of a feral animal. Then, it stopped.

Only then did I allow myself to breathe.

"Who are you?" I screamed it, but it came off as a whisper that even I could barely heard.

 _It's useless to resist_

An inhuman voice coming from a human throat. The voice seemed to resonate through the walls in such a way that it seemed like the voice was coming from the castle itself, and not from the thing in front of me. What was burning behind those eyes?

 _You are nothing now you can only take your place_

A warped knife. The thing drives that knife into its hand… and I screamed. My left hand throbbed, even though there was no sign of a wound.

 _Somebody has always got to take the throne_

It stabbed the knife on one knee, and it went all the way in. I fell down on one knee, panting, trying to regain my breath. Stop it. Had to stop it, before I would get killed.

 _It's your destiny_

Laughing like the devil, it ripped open its stomach and started to pull out its intestines. I screamed, drowning out its laughter. The pain, the pain, the pain, the pain…! The pain was unbearable. I felt half-dead already, and I couldn't even move.

 _And when you do I will be there to welcome you home_

A sharp pain in my head, darkness, then… I opened my eyes and I was back in that room. But it hurt, it hurt so much. All over my body, where I sustained those wounds in that dream. I had brought my pain from my dream to reality. Trying to control my breathing, I looked around.

Where was this place? I didn't know this place. Blackness, the bars of a cell, of a cage. Somebody had dared… to try to put me on a cage. The gritting of my teeth. Just something like this, to restrain me? They didn't know who they were messing with. Oh, but that was all right.

I would give them a good lesson.

Using only a little bit of strength, I pushed against my restrains. They creaked, and cracked. I sneered. Everything in this world was so fragile. Only the night and the pale moonlight seemed to have any weight. I slipped out of my broken restrains… something poked my arm. A needle. I laughed, and laughed. I grabbed the needle, snapped it half and threw it away. The contents had already entered my bloodstream, but just that much wouldn't serve to restrain me.

Foam was launched from tubes in the walls in all directions, clinging to me, dragging me down to my knees, obscuring my vision completely and making it hard to breathe. I heard… the sounds of bagging against steel, and I feel a phantom pain in my hands. Distant laughter. The total, unending darkness that seemed it could shallow me. I was here again.

I was in the locker again

in the locker in the locker

in the locker…!

The foam was all blow away from me. My arms were covered by gauntlets, which burned with an intense fire. I roared, and slammed myself against the bars. I went through them as if they were made of paper. Alarms going off. The sound of doors shutting down. Like that was going to matter. They were just locking themselves with me, not restraining me. They would pay for their insolence. But not now. Not now. There was something else I had to do before that.

I went out easily, bursting through the walls and into the outside. Destroying anything in my way. Screams, people trying to save themselves. I was shot at, but I barely felt it. Without any real opposition, I merely destroyed the glass of the door of the main entrance and went out into the night.

* * *

I was high up in a rooftop, looking up at the moon. It had been easy to make them lost track of me. In the darkness, everything was a hiding place. The rain had soaked me, but it didn't make any difference to me. I had become unable to felt warm since a long time ago, so it just made me felt a little colder. My whole body had gone into an overdrive. I couldn't calm myself down. Why? The answer was easy. It was not enough. I still didn't fully felt like myself.

I looked back down, and turned away. I would take over this city, and then, I would make this world bend the knee to me, like I had so many others. Everybody would fear and worship the Prince Of Darkness, the Dragon, Dracul.

Drawing out power from inside of me, I brought my castle back into reality, in the outskirts of this city. It appeared as if it was always there, illuminated by the moonlight. I jumped out of the building, and transformed into a swarm of shrieking bats. I quickly made my way through the night, and transformed back when I got over my castle. I landed in a crouch, and went up the stairs and into the balcony in front of the castle.

As I walked, I could heard shouts, howls, growls, all of the noise coming from the beasts mixing into a cacophony of welcome to the ruler of the night. I put my hands against the steel railing, and looked down. Below, there were my creatures, all grouped together. A darkness that didn't leave the ground visible. They were all waiting for my orders. In the distance, I heard the sound of the Endbringer sirens.

I opened my mouth to let slip the dogs of war.


	7. 7

**7/**

My monsters descended on the city of Brockton Bay. They had rang the Endbringer sirens, but that had been needless. I didn't the intention to kill normal people. No, I just wanted to take care of all the heroes and villains. And bring those who were of worth, if any were, to serve under me.

I turned away. I entered inside the castle with a slow gait. Doors were being locked. Traps were being set, and the guards of the castle were coming into existence. As the changes started piling up, the layout starting forming in my head. Drawing from my memories, the castle was making special adjustments in light of our expected opponents.

Impassive, I entered my throne room and settled down. Behind me was the glass and beyond it the stormy night, and the pouring rain. I would wait, for now. I could wait, and there was no need to rush, either. I would be a pity to let things end so quickly. I would have my fun, first.

* * *

Danny froze when he heard the Endbringer sirens blaring.

And first, he didn't move and he barely even breathed. He understood what this meant, but of course, he could hardly believe it. It took several seconds to process the situation, and finally move. He rushed out of the house, into his car and headed for the nearest shelter. The shouts of beasts ran through the air, a menacing and intense chorus. No time to wonder about it.

There was a moment of panic where he didn't remember where the nearest shelter was, where all of the practice motions of the simulations left his brain because of the blind panic, but he eventually did. Or so he thought.

There was no Endbringer in the distance. What he saw, almost by accident, was a gigantic castle in the outskirts of the city. At first, he believed it was a trick of the light. Of course. Even in a world with superhuman people, it didn't exclude for finding something too strange, and this was one of them. And it was no just the oddity of the sight, no. The more he looked at it, his headache grew. It was hard to get his around the structure of that thing, whichever it was.

He shook his head. The Endbringer sirens had rang, and this was not any of the three. Which meant a new one had arrived, or they had a reason to think it could represent the same threat as them, which was pretty much the same thing. That's all he needed to know about it.

He had other worries, of course. The many people that would suffer and die today. The though of his own death. The destruction that would be left in the aftermath, if Brockton Bay was still standing by the end of this, and how would it affect the Dockworkers Union. And, lastly and more importantly, Taylor. But he couldn't affect any of those things, and Taylor would be safe with the PRT.

There could be a cure, and there could be a family again in where was the void that Annette's crash had left.

He speeded up. The shouts were getting closer, and in a matter of seconds, he saw monsters bursting out of the fog and sprinting in his direction. Heart leaping to his throat, he panicky tried to think about what to do now. There was a heavy sound of impact. A beast had jumped on the top of the car, but left as quickly as it came. All the other beasts were also ignoring the other drivers. Where were they going? Ah, damn, whatever. Not his fucking concern.

Slowly, his rational mind told him. He had to go slowly. He He drove his car through the black mass of monster that ducked, and weaved, and jumped out of the way of the cars, ignoring the drivers, ignoring even the people on the streets, fearing hitting something and ending up killed in retaliation. The shouts were horrible cacophony that stabbed into his brain like a knife, and their panting like animals that had found their prey made his body sake even more, but he didn't speed up. If he did, he was going to die.

To his left, a monster was hit by one car. The monster didn't look scratched, but anyways, it ripped the door open and dragged the screaming man inside to the ground. It was a hideous wolf standing on four legs, and it tore it apart with a brutal, and casual efficiency. He couldn't assimilate the scene of dissection right on his side, but he couldn't distance itself from it, either. He had to go slowly and carefully.

But… It was a mercy, he guessed. The man died even before he could scream from the pain.

That thought made him felt sick.

His hands clenched around steering wheel. Slowly, carefully. Panicking like that another man would get him killed. And he couldn't die. Not now, and less of all like this. He couldn't die.

He wasn't going to die.

* * *

Lung crushed a wolf's head in his hand, and, at the same time, he exploded, blowing back the tide of monsters which had been coming to swarm and devour him. He was fighting alone. He hadn't paid much attention to the Endbringer sirens, that wasn't his business since Kyushu, but the cry of those beasts had attracted his attention and he had stayed around while his men sought shelter.

It had only been an ouch, more like a hope, but he had been right on the mark. This was interesting. A troll swung his huge club at him, resisting the flames. He blocked it with his forearm, and punched his left arm through the stomach of the thing, setting it on fire from the inside. It burned away quickly and what remained of his body fell to the ground with a thump.

A thing tackled him. It had enough strength to force him a back a few feet, and Lung, instead of taking it, had to dig his feet down on the earth to stop it. Amusing. He grabbed the beast, and lifted it up, setting it on fire like a torch. The beast shrieked in pain. He used the flaming beast against the approaching enemies like a club. It was a crude move, and stupid, because he would fight better without doing it, but he had felt like doing it, so he had. He had lost himself in the rush of the fight. His blood was singing.

He saw something rushing for him out of the corner of his eye, but he was not fast enough to stop him. The boar like creature slammed into him with great force, sending him into the ground. He covered himself on fire instead of exploding, and stood up to meet the creatures who had come to take advantage of that slip out with the same eagerness.

For the first time in a long, long time, he was straining to win a fight. Sure, the creatures were not match for him. They were strong and fast, but not strong and fast enough, and they could only die at his hands. But they were many, far too many, and now he was losing ground instead of gaining it. Wings had already formed at his back. He could take off and go to that castle directly, but he didn't want to. That would wound his pride as a warrior.

These beasts. Many beasts beyond what was thought possible, like they had crawled out of a fantasy books. Horrible and dangerous beasts. They were making him put effort into a fight. And they were only disposable minions that whatever was inside that castle in the distance had send. He would tear through them, open up a path to the castle. And then he would destroy his ruler. If disposable minions were this strong, then, maybe, just maybe, the ruler of the castle would be able to give him the fight he wanted.

Lung smiled at that thought, and roared, as if to make himself heard to the owner of the castle. As if to tell it that he was coming.

* * *

They were not equipped to dealt with this.

Armsmaster swung his halberd in a half-circle, cutting down the beasts which had come dangerously close to him like tearing through paper. They weren't fighting smart, they were just dumb, hungry beasts coming to swarm them, but that's all they needed to be, with their numbers.

No matter how many he cut down, it seemed like it could never end. That castle, the source of this disaster, seemed so far away. Those creatures were incompressible, nothing remotely like he had seen before. Like… monster from a fantasy book. That frustrated it, not understanding. And what frustrated him more and made him felt a little fear was that he was not sure of anything, of what to do once they reached the castle, if they even managed to get that.

Miss Militia, being faced with an onrushing tidy of monsters, had pulled up all the stops and was mowing them down from behind him. It was a great help, but still, it was barely enough. Every second they managed to stay alive felt like a miracle. Assault and Battery, for their part, were trying their best and they were managing to give them breathing room, and reduce the burden on them. Triumph was using his sonic shout to do much the same, and Dauntless was helping tearing through the crowd. Velocity's power wasn't suited to group fighting, but he was helping in what he could, here and there, and besides, they couldn't separate here. The Wards were with them because this was an Endbringer situation for all intents and porpurses, and they couldn't not afford the luxury to not bring them regardless of the reason. They were doing their part, things more even. But they were just a group of people against the tide. They could only create this thin blaance and hope that they could mantain it.

It seemed like a world away, and still, it was the only way they could survive this. That the city would be left standing, if deeply damaged, when this was over. They had to get there and finish this.

Somehow, they had to get there.

* * *

The Entity immediately felt the disturbance, and reached out for it. Found something akin to Itself, but not really Itself. Not really one of them. But it was an old, old force, older that even Itself, perhaps older that Its entire species. A great force. A force that could shallow this world, plunge it into darkness, if left unchecked. A force which could shallow even Itself.

Yet none of those things were really Its concern. The cycle was broken, unrepairable. It had no purpose now, no reason to live. It didn't fear dying, and this world no longer had a use for Itself. Whatever was happening, it was none of Its concern. But It changed paths, and headed for the source of the disturbance.

It had been saving people for a time without any reason or meaning, at Kevin Norton's suggestion. It had fought those creatures when they appeared for much the same reason. Therefore, It was of Its concern, because this was the only purpose remaining to It. But… no, that was a reason but not all of it.

It was going to fight because, for the first time in Its long existence, It was feeling afraid.


End file.
